FBI RAIDS SMALL MICHIGAN RPG COMPANY [ a joke .. yes!?? hmmm]

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

>From: tucholka@aol.com (Tucholka)
>Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce
>Subject: FBI RAIDS SMALL MICHIGAN RPG COMPANY
>Date: 7 Sep 1994 13:09:02 -0400
>Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
>
>OK, there have been some wild rumors about the FBI raid on Tri Tac Games
>just after GENCON.   Lets set them straight.
>
>FBI RAIDS SMALL GAME COMPANY
>PRESS RELEASE
>
>At 10am Tuesday morning, August 23rd, a special tactical team from the FBI
>gained swift and overwhelming entry into the corporate offices of Tri Tac
>Games in Pontiac Michigan to the great surprise of the entire staff who
>were still sipping coffee.
>
>Richard Tucholka, owner and president of Tri Tac, was duly informed of his
>rights as the squad of federal agents neatly and politely searched the
>offices of Tri Tac claiming to be looking for 'phony FBI  Identification
>Badges' and 'Illicit government operation manuals.'
>
>It is to be noted that Tri Tac Games publishes an award-winning
>Role-Playing Game called Bureau 13, detailing the adventures of a secret
>division of the FBI which uses magic and Harrier Jump Jets to defend
>America from supernatural criminals and monsters.
>
>After painstakingly searching everything from the yet-to-be released CD
>ROM computer game version of Bureau 13, through the paperback copies of
>the Cult -hit novels from Ace Books in New York, absolutely nothing
>incriminating or illegal was discovered-- an incident close to the
>precedent setting invasion of Steve Jackson Games a few years ago by the
>US secret service which resulted in a major lawsuit rightfully won by the
>innocent game company.
>
>In preparation for another government visit, Mr. Tucholka has informed his
>lawyer, alerted the media, and set an extra pot of coffee to brew for the
>agents if they return.
>****************
>Yes, it happened.  No kidding.   Apparently some fool at GENCON thought a
>$1 double sized Plastic ID badge on flaming orange and pink  paper was a
>threat to national security.  These badges were given to players of Bureau
>13 as promotional material.
>****************
>The agents were professional and Tri Tac cooperated with them.   Computers
>were not touched (It is a federal law that a writers 'Works in Progress'
>may not be taken.)   They removed plastic Bureau 13/FBI  ID badges from a
>display shelf  and versions of a Department of Justice ID badge produced
>by Databank Press.
>
>On Thursday the 25th Richard Tucholka was informed that the Federal
>Prosecutor would not be pressing charges for the badges because there was
>no malice or intent in their production.  There would be a file
>established at the FBI with these badge examples for future reference.  He
>was instructed to send in all production copies and masters as well as
>destroy the ID Badge Computer Graphics file in question.  Richard Tucholka
>shook his head and said "Only an idiot could think these badges were real.
> Wonderful to see my tax dollars at work."
>
>